Sewing machine

ABSTRACT

A sewing machine has a frame formed of a base, a column, a lower free arm having an upper working surface, an upper arm and a head. A retractable shelf is connected to the base by a set of articulated parts comprising panels hinged to three sides of the shelf and arms pivoted to the base at one end and articulated to an intermediate point along the height of each panel at the other end. The shelf is displaceable between an operative level in which it fits around the lower free arm at the working surface thereof and a retracted level below the lower free arm to allow access thereto. Flaps are also hinged to the shelf and can, when the shelf is at the operative level, be folded in line with the panels against the frame to form a case therewith. In both operative and inoperative levels of the shelf, the flaps can be folded down to allow access to the machine for operation thereof.

Fresard [151 3,685,473 1 Aug. 22, 1972 [54] SEWING MACHINE [72] Marcel Fresard, Petit-Lancy, Switzerland Assignee: Mefina S.A., Fribourg, Switzerland Filed: Aug. 28, 1970 Appl. No.: 67,947

Inventor:

US. Cl ..112/258 Int. Cl. ..D05b 75/00 Field of Search ..l l2 /2l7.l, 258, 260, 63

I References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1971 Fresard ..l 12/258 s I n k5 II 'I i i l i. ll l ii I E 25' I26- 9 20 74 FF!- CT]: 70/;

Primary Examiner-Jordan Franklin Assistant Examiner-George H. Krizmanich I Attorney-Emory L. Groff and Emory L. Groff, .lr.

[57] ABSTRACT A sewing machine has a frame formed of a base, a column, a lower free arm having an upper working surface, an upper' arm and a head. A retractable shelf is connected to the base by a set of articulated parts comprising panels hinged to three sides of the shelf and arms pivoted to the base at one end and articulated to an intermediate point along the height of each panel at the other end. Theshelf is displaceable between an operative level. in which it fits around the lower free arm at the working surface thereof and a retracted level below the lower free arm to allow access thereto. Flaps are also hinged to the shelf and can, when the shelf is at the operative level, be folded in line with the panels against the frame to form a case therewith. In both operative and inoperative levels of the shelf, the flaps can be folded down to allow access to the machine for operation thereof.

3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTED AUG 2 2 I972 SHEET 2 0F 3 SEWING MACHINE This invention relates to sewing machines and is particularly concerned with sewing machines of the type having flaps hinged to the body of the machine so that when folded up they form a case in which the machine can be stored or transported and when folded down the machine is in an open position for the operation thereof.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved sewing machine of the above-mentioned type.

According to the invention there is therefore proposed a sewing machine comprising a frame formed of a base, a column, a lower free arm having an upper working surface, an upper arm and a head. Flaps are hinged at least indirectly to the frame and are able to be applied against the frame to form a case therewith and to be folded down to allow access to the machine for operation thereof. A retractable shelf is connected to the base by a set of articulated parts, and is able to be displaced between two levels, an operative level in which it fits around the lower free arm at the upper working surface thereof, and a retracted level below the lower free arm to allow access thereto. In the sewing machine according to the invention, the set of ar ticulated parts comprises panels along each of three sides of the base, each panel being hinged at its upper end to the shelf and being articulated at an intermediate point along the height thereof to an element pivotally mounted on the base, whereby with the shelf at the operative level the flaps can be applied against the frame to forma case and the panels form an extension to the flaps when in this case-forming position.

The accompanying drawings show, schematically and by way of example, an embodiment of the sewing machine according to the invention.

FIG. 1 is an end view of this sewing machine, the left hand part showing .the sewing machine in a position packed for transport or for storage, whilst the right hand part shows the sewing machine in the working position with the free arm cleared.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view, partially in transversal cross-section, of part of the sewing machine shown in the storage position.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, similar to the lower right hand side of FIG. 2 showing a plate type connector between the panel and the base.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view similar to the lower right hand side of FIG. 1 showing the plate type connector of FIG. 3 when the flap, panel and shelf are in their lowermost position.

Referring to the drawings, the sewing machine shown comprises a frame 1 formed of a base 2, a column 3, a lower free arm 4, an upper arm 5, and a head 6. The sewing machine additionally comprises a shelf 7 fittable around the free arm 4. This shelf is mounted in a manner to be displaceable normal to its own plane (i.e. it remains parallel to the plane of the upper working surface of free arm 4) and can move between the level of the upper surface of the free arm 4 and a level substantially below the said arm 4 so as to clear the latter and leave it accessible. To this end, the shelf 7 is connected to the base 2 by a set of articulated parts.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the set of articulated parts comprises three panels, namely two longitudinal panels 8 and a transverse panel 9. Each panel 8 is directly hinged to the corresponding longitudinal side of the shelf 7 by hinges 18. Similarly, the panel 9 is hinged to the front edge of the shelf 7 by a hinge 20. The panels 8 are additionally articulated to the base 2 of the frame of the sewing machine by means of elements 70. In the illustrated example, these elements are rods articulated at their lower ends 71 to the base 2 byaxles 72, and at their upper ends 73 by axles 74 to an intermediate point along the inner surface of the panels 8. Similarly, a rod is articulated at its upper end to an intermediate point along the inner surface of the panel 9 and, at its lower end, to the front part of the base 2.

Three flaps 21, 22, 23 are also articulated along the three respective sides of the shelf 7 by hinges 24,25 and 26 respectively. These flaps-2 1, 22, 23 serve to protect the machine in the storage position, as shown in the left hand part of FIG. 1. In fact, in this position, the panels 8 and 9 are raised and the flaps are folded against the upper arm 5 of the frame 1 in a manner to form a case therewith. Fixing means, for example clasps or magnets, are provided to hold the flaps 21', 22, 23 in the raised position.

Elastic means can be provided to urge, on the one hand, the shelf 7 to tend to lift it up and, on the other hand, the hinges 72 of the rods 70, or the hinges 18 of the panels8, to tendto fold these up. These elastic means can be constituted either by coil springs of the pincer type, or by blade springs. A locking device is also preferably provided to hold the panels 8 and 9 in the raised position. The elastic means, as well as the locking device, can be of the same types as those described in US. Pat. application Ser. No. 32.956 filed Apr. 29, 1970.

Such a sewing machine is used in the following manner:

Suppose that the sewing machine is in the storage position, as shown on the left of FIG. 1. When the user desires to carry out some sewing using the shelf 7 to increase the working surface of the sewing machine, it suffices to fold down the flaps 21, 22, 23. The sewing machine thus occupies the position shown in FIG. 2, the flaps 21, 22, 23, shown in dotted-dashed lines, forming ramps facilitating the delivery of pieces to be sewn towards the hole/needle plate (not shown) of the sewing machine.

If, for certain particular sewing operations, the user must be able to use the free arm 4 in a completely cleared and hence accessible position, she simply has to unlock the panels 8 and to exert a downwardly directed pressure on the shelf 7 to cause retraction of the shelf to a level below that of the free arm 4 (see the right hand part of FIG. 1). The above-mentioned locking device is provided to prevent return of the shelf 7 to its raised position. To bring the shelf 7 back to the level of the upper surface of the free arm 4, it is sufficient to free the locking'device and the shelf returns to this level under the action of the above-mentioned springs. Once the shelf 7 is in the raised position, the sewing machine can be returned to the storage position by folding the flaps 21, 22, 23 against the upper arm 5 and the head 6 of the sewing machine.

As a modification, the rods 70 could, of course, be replaced by any similar articulating plates or arms, such as the plates 75 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

I claim:

1. In a sewing machine for use on a supporting sur: face comprising a casing having a base, a column, a free lower arm including upper, lower and side faces, an upper arm, a head, a plurality of flaps, means connecting said flaps to said casing to permit movement of said flaps between a lower position in which the sewing machine can be used and an upper position in which said flaps are raised against said casing to form therewith an enclosure for the sewing machine, material supporting means comprising a shelf, a set of articulated parts connecting said shelf to the base of the casing so as to enable said shelf to be moved parallel to itself along a vertical axis between first and second positions, said shelf in its first position cooperating with said lower arm so as to enlarge the upper face thereof and in its second position sufficiently exposing said lower arm for the sewing of tubular pieces of material, the improvement wherein the set of articulated parts comprises a panel along each of three sides of the base, each panel hinged at its upper end to said shelf, connecting means pivotally mounted on each of the three sides of said base and pivotally attached to each said panel medially thereof and along its inner surface,

whereby with the shelf at the operative level the flaps 

1. In a sewinG machine for use on a supporting surface comprising a casing having a base, a column, a free lower arm including upper, lower and side faces, an upper arm, a head, a plurality of flaps, means connecting said flaps to said casing to permit movement of said flaps between a lower position in which the sewing machine can be used and an upper position in which said flaps are raised against said casing to form therewith an enclosure for the sewing machine, material supporting means comprising a shelf, a set of articulated parts connecting said shelf to the base of the casing so as to enable said shelf to be moved parallel to itself along a vertical axis between first and second positions, said shelf in its first position cooperating with said lower arm so as to enlarge the upper face thereof and in its second position sufficiently exposing said lower arm for the sewing of tubular pieces of material, the improvement wherein the set of articulated parts comprises a panel along each of three sides of the base, each panel hinged at its upper end to said shelf, connecting means pivotally mounted on each of the three sides of said base and pivotally attached to each said panel medially thereof and along its inner surface, whereby with the shelf at the operative level the flaps can be applied against the frame to form a case and the panels form an extension to the flaps when in this case-forming position.
 2. The improvement in a sewing machine according to claim 1, in which the connecting means are rods.
 3. The improvement in a sewing machine according to claim 1, in which the connecting means are plates. 